Here is a link comparing wood to plastic utensils.

http://www.woodworking.co.uk/Technic.../bacteria.html

Many years ago I read an article in a reputable source (I have
forgotten where) that reported a study done to test whether plastic
cutting boards would be less likely to support bacteria growth than
wooden ones. The concern was that the bacteria would be able to hide
in the more porous wood.

The results proved the opposite. There was far less bacteria growth on
the wooden cutting boards (I don't recall if they specified the
species of wood) than on the plastic. I think they tested with various
degrees of washing and even the poorly-washed wooden boards actually
inhibited bacteria growth.

I think they theorized that something in the wood was inhibiting the
growth, but now I don't recall what.

A quick Google search turned up these:

http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF11/1121B.html
http://foodsafety.ifas.ufl.edu/HTML/il114.htm
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcuttingbd.html

It sounds like open-grain "might" be even better than closed-grain
woods?

--
For email, use Usenet-20031220 at spamex.com